Curb-box.



Patented Aug. 18, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

c. E. TYLER & E. D. EVERY.

CURB BOX.

APPLICATION FILED I'EB.15, 1912 1, 1 08,031.

uit; mams PETERS Co IHnrorlHu ASH' 1.4/0 u L C. E. TYLER 6I E. D. EVERY.

CURB BOX.

APPLICATION FILED H111. 15, 1912.

1,108,03 l. Patented Aug.18, 1914 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNiTED sTATEs PATENT oEEiCE.

'CLARENCE E. TYLER, Aor rAssAio, yNEW JERSEY, AND ELMER D; EVERY, or WALToN, NEW Yonx, AssisNoRs To s.l E. T. vVALVE a HYDRANT COMPANY, NEW YORK, INC., or NEW YoRigN. Y., A CORPORATION or NEW YORK.

CURB-Box.

"specification. of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 18, 1914.

Applicatonfiled February 15, 1912. Serial No. 677,858.

particularly to the class of curb boxes shown in Letters Patent of the United States No. 948,001, dated February 1st, 1910l and No. 961,178, dated June 14th, 1910. The boxes shown in the patents referred tofare open to some object-ions, the chief of which is that the mechanism is rather complicated, and the construction of such a nature as to render the curb boxes too expensive'for wide use. Moreover, the mechanism shown in the patents referred to is of such a nature that the valve which is held in the lower part of the curb box may-be turned so that its stem will be'out of registry with the wrench used to operate itl, or if it is perpendicular .to the pipe and a separate wrench is used and dropped through fthe curb box to the valve, there isnothing' to .check the downfall of the wrench, `and this is likely to strike Awith injurious ellect on the lstern of the valve. In our invention we have obviated these several diliiculties, and further, have produced a curb box which is. .Very easy to make, easy to assemble, and is consequently cheap, and which has the advantage` of bey ing readily adjusted 'to various conditions,

which holds the valve in thelowerpartof the'curb box always in the exact position required, and which' has means -to prevent any injury'vtothe valve by the dropping of a wrench through the stand'pipe or its ex tension. In carrying out these ideas, we have preserved` the arrangement at .'-the top of the box which prevents the boxv being opened and the vvalveactuated by anunauthorized person, and have improved the cover which is adapted for use where a de-y tachable wrench is employed.' Reference isto be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, inwhich similar reference characters indicate correspondingr parts kin all the views.

Figure 1 is an outside elevation of the complete device. Fig. l2 is a longitudinal section lof the same. Fig. 3 is an edge view with the lower part or curb box `in section, and the section taken at right angles to that shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detailsectional view of the'curb box showing a modified means ofholdingthe valve. Fig. 5 is a sectional plan of the `structure shown in Fig. 4. Fig.- 6 is a'detail showing a preferred form of valve holding lug on the wall of, the box. Fig. 7 is a cross section through the stand pipe` and extension, showing the abutment to receive the blow of the wrench dropped through the pipe. Fig. 8 is a' detail sectional viewshowing a. type of cover used where' a detachable wrench is employed. Fig. 9 is a detail plan of the plug used in connection with-the aforesaid cover. Fig. 10 is a view of a suitable form of detachable wrench. Fig. 11 is a detail inverted plan of the top plate shown in Fig. 8, and Fig. 12 is a cross section of the plate shown in Fig-11. l

The kcurb box is composed of two similar sections 10 merging into a sectional or longitudinally separable stand pipe 11 having meeting flanges 12 which are bolted together, and the parts 10 being secured by bolts 13 passing through them all substantially as shown inthe prior patents above referred to. The pipe 14 in whichiows the fluid or liquid to be regulated, passes through the curb box as usual, and is propreventing the sleeve and shank 17 from The turning in relation to each other.

square end of the' sleeve 18 receives a 'square plug 19 which is provided with socketsv19,

land the sleeve while heated, ispressed in opposite these sockets as shown at 18", forming lugs which grip the sockets and hold the 'upper end `of the sleeve firmly to the plug,

19, thus securing an engagement which is positive, and at the same time exceedingly' cheap. The upper end of the plug 19 which forms a part of the wrench shown, ternir nates in a squared head 2O which lies in a socket 2l on the plate il a, and this rests on theiange 22 of the extension pipe 23, this latter sliding in the stand pipe 11, and having an exterior flange 211 to limitits movel ment in the stand pipe, although of course other equivalent means canbe employed for this purpose. The top ofthe extension pipe 23 `iscased in by a cover as shown lin the prior patents, and the covers are `held in place by bolts 26 and'QF, the former passing through the flange 22 and plate 21e, While the latter passes through the plate and flange, and the thead rests 1in the `socket 28 in t'he box cover. It will thus be seen that 'by removing the cover 25, 'the squared `end 2O of @the extensible Wrench -niay be reached, and With the special Wrench adapted to `engage this squh red fhead the valve 15 may tbe operated.

lt is sometimes desirable to have a Wrench which is detachable, and in such case the Wrench is removed, and the cover reapplied tothe bor; Abut as these curb boxes are sometimes quite long, and the Wrenches are necessarily heavy having a long shank, when the operator dropsthe wrench through the stand pipe to reach the valve stein, it will strike the stein With sueh force as to drive in the stein or break it, or distort or injure the valve. Furthermore, it is diflicult to bring the Wrench and stem in Vproper relation. To provide for this We arrange opposed flanges 29,011 'the inner side and lower end of the pipe 11, although if a single pipe Ahaving no extension is used, the flanges may be arranged at a little distance above the valve case on the pipe, and the flanges are spaced apart `as shovvn at 30 so that the Wings 31 with which the head 32 of the Wrench 33 maybe provided, must lne brought into registry With `the openings 30 before the Wrench will drop through and engage the stein of the valve. YThus the Wrench 'is prevented from dropping With too great force, and at thev same time it is necessary to bring the parte 30 and 31 into registry, which serves the purposeof `centering the Wrench above the'valve stein.

We have shoivn and described the peculiar flanges 29 and theWing-ed lhead of the Wrench to pass through, but it Will 'of course be evident lthat the flanges 294 and the =cor responding Wrench head yni'a'y be `given any other shapes, Without departing from the invention, the essential thing being yLto have the flanges serve the purpose ofabutm'ents head into proper registry, before Y it will drop through to the valve stem.

.ln the former invention referred to, and in other forms of Curb boxes,rit has been found that the valve 15 or its equivalent valve or cock, would become turned or tilted or disturbed through the action of the soil or'other influence on. the pipe 111, thus making it difficult to bring a Wrench into registry with the valve stem. To provide against this We have holders in the curb ,bog/:es which ywill engage the valve and hold it in a permanent position With relation to the box. le prefer to use lugs 34 which can be cast directly -on the inner Walls of the box as shown in Figs. l3 and 6, and the inner surfaces of which can be shaped to engage the valve. It Will be seen that these surfaces may be given any vconfiguration so as to engage any preferred type of valve.

instead of making the valve holding devices permanent and in the form vof lugs, a saddle 35 can be used as shown in Figs. 4t and '5, Which saddle is adapted to ftrthe valve in a Way to prevent it from turning, and is provided with trunnions or supports 36 `which are carried by the Walls of the curb box, and which serve the purpose of holding the valve in `the right relation Vto the curb box.

lt Will be noticed that our curb boX is closed at the bottoni so that mud, Water, or other matter ycannot enter therboX, and under the action of frost disturb the pipe 14 and disarrange the valve 15, and it follows that the valve centering and holding devices carried directly by the box, always serve their intended purpose.

llVlhere a detachable Wrench is used, and removed from the stand pipe after the valve v,is operated, the type of cover shown in Figs. 8 to 12 may 'be used to advantage. ris here illustrated, 'the plate 37 is adapted to eover the top vof the pipe 23 or its equivalent, and the plate is provided with bolt holes 38 vto receive the bolts 26 and 27 above referred to, 'and with Tthecen'tral opening 39 to receive the plug 40, the latter having a fia-nge Z11 which rests on the plate 37, 'and a squared head 412 by 'vvhich' it may be turned. The plug 'has at its lower end lateral Wings 13 'jv'hic'h are adapted to fdrop through the slots 13L in fthe plate 37 after which theplug may be turned and the `Wings d3 vvill slide upon the inclined cam surfaces la Whieh are arranged on opposite sides fof the opening 39, 'and are 'of 'opposite lpitch se that by this arranofenaent the plug is locked l`securely in plane. When the cover '25 is removed, it is notnecessary `to remove the plate 37, and `the plug d0 can `-b'e'reinoved and the wvre'nch'32ef-33 dropped through the opening 39.

From the foregoing description vit `vyill `be seentha't ivehavelimproved the type-ofcurb box referred to, and that the device which We shovs7 is of such construction thatthe parts can be all cast and cheaply made.

A curb box comprising a stand pipe having an enlarged portion, a, valve in the enlarged portion, said valve 'having a stem extending above the plane lof the upper portion of the enlarged portion, opposed anges secured to the inner Wall of the `stand -pipe above the plane of the top of the stem, and spaced from each other, said flanges forming a. stop for a Wrench dropped into the stand pipe, anda wrench havmg projeetons adapted to pass through the 15 spaces referred to.

CLARENCE E. TYLER. ELMER D. EVERY.

l Witnesses v LoUrsA E. SrMsoN, HELEN R. DE MOYA.

-i Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

